Treasures in Cracked Pots

Well, what do ya know? Today is my one year blogiversary! Let’s celebrate with a long overdue post, shall we?

In 2007, I started my love affair with mud. Clay to be exact. That was the year I took my first pottery class. Talk about joy! I left every class singing. That’s where the name Claygirlsings comes from. Throwing clay, as it’s called, seemed to awaken something in me that was dormant. Unfortunately and primarily due to the cost, it’s been a couple years since I’ve created anything new, but that is about to change thanks to Groupon – I’ve got a discount for a class at our local studio!

My largest creation was the size of a vegetable serving dish. I was quite proud. This beautiful bowl took shape fairly easily and was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. As I finished trimming it, I was feeling like I had arrived as a potter. This was going to be gorgeous. It was nearly ready to set aside for firing, when suddenly – SNAP!

A huge piece broke off the top! My bowl was ruined!

Another artist in the studio came over and suggested I smooth out the edges and make a frog house. A frog house is essentially an upside-down pot, with a small opening for the frog entry. Sure, why not. I rounded out the broken area and decided it would make a cute frog house. The bowl was dried, bisque fired and ready for glazing. I discovered a fun & promising purple glaze in the studio which I used to glaze both my frog house and a small plate. Lucky for my frog house, the small plate was fired first. When I saw it, I hated the color. It ended up as a funky, gritty lavender. I decided to wash off most of the purple glaze and recover the frog house with a more vibrant color. The process was nearly over and I absentmindedly carried the bowl from the sink to the work table, when – CRACK!

My heart sank with the sound. I had smacked the fragile pot against a metal table and three big pieces were on the floor. In throwing the pieces in the garbage, I came seconds away from tossing the whole project. It was worthless, right? Broken, messed up, useless.

Not only did the pot not get trashed, but it turned out to be my most interesting and unique piece. I sanded the broken edges and re-glazed the piece. The imperfections make it one of my favorite pieces, because no one else will make a bowl quite like mine.

I think of my funny, special bowl as I read II Corinthians 4. Verses 5-7 say, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

I am a vessel, a funky, unique bowl, with imperfections aplenty. Definitely not a show piece, but made to hold treasure. Greater than I is what I carry “inside,” if you will. God shines out of my heart and life, sharing “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

And why am I not a beautiful show piece? “To show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

Any attempt of mine to claim ownership of glory, to want praise and honor directed at me, is foolish. Who I am is not my own doing; I am a reflection of the potter – the one who made me – my Creator. My cracks and bumps allow me to better display the treasure of God’s glory.

Going into my second year of blogging, I hope to show more of God’s glory, with less focus on my own attempts at self-glory. Will you join me on this journey? Are you living in a way that best displays God’s treasure in you?

Happy anniversary of your blog! And what a wonderful way to celebrate it. This post is so full of energy and love. And I love how you celebrate your uniqueness in Him. Love it! And the bowl is a beauty! Have a Happy New Year!

I love this! And your bowl is beautiful. I love that you didn’t act on your knee jerk reaction to throw it away and even after two “mess-ups”, you still tried to take it and make something beautiful out of it. What a wonderful example of God’s tenacity with us. He stays with us and never gives up hope that we will be beautiful for His glory. Love it!

Thanks for sharing a piece of your story – the creation of your name on here. I love the image of us being imperfect and yet perfectly useable if we are only willing. Hope to read more of you in the coming FMF weeks.

Hi, I'm Janice. I'm part bookworm and part creative. I love both science and music (and the science of music). I'm stumbling around trying to grow closer to God. Click the photo to read more about me.

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